A recent state banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan drew attention not only because it included visiting European Union (EU) dignitaries, but also because of the food served. Hosted by the President of India as part of a formal diplomatic engagement, the meal departed from the broadly pan-Indian menus that have traditionally defined such occasions. Instead, the dinner placed a clear emphasis on regional Indian cooking, with a menu rooted in Himalayan ingredients and food traditions. The menu was curated by Chef Prateek Sadhu, co-founder of NAAR, an acclaimed destination restaurant in Himachal Pradesh. While chefs have long played a role in shaping state banquets, it is relatively uncommon for a restaurant chef to be in charge of a meal in this way at Rashtrapati Bhavan. That choice, combined with the regional specificity of the menu, made this banquet notable.
What State Banquets Usually Look Like
State banquets at Rashtrapati Bhavan are typically designed to reflect India's culinary diversity in a way that is broadly accessible. Menus often include a spread of well-known dishes drawn from multiple regions, structured to cater to varied palates and diplomatic protocol. Specific regional delicacies have been included more in recent times.
The recent banquet stood out for narrowing its focus rather than broadening it. Instead of attempting to represent India through a wide-ranging selection, the menu concentrated on ingredients, grains, and preparations associated with the Himalayan belt. The approach was less about showcasing recognisable classics and more about presenting a coherent regional narrative across courses.
The Menu, Explained: Courses And Dishes
The state banquet unfolded as a multi-course vegetarian menu anchored in Himalayan ingredients, grains, and preservation techniques.
The meal began with Jakhiya aloo, a Uttarakhand-style potato preparation tempered with jakhiya seeds, served alongside green tomato chutney. This was paired with jhangora millet kheer, finished with meah loon (a traditional Himalayan salt preparation) and white chocolate, setting the tone for a menu that balanced regional techniques with contemporary presentation.
Among the early courses was Sunderkala thichoni, a buckwheat noodle soup-like delicacy from Uttarakhand. The dish featured roasted tomato and fermented vegetables. It was served with yak cheese custard and bhaang mathri, bichhu patta (stinging nettle leaf) glazed with mustard and lauki, as well as winter carrot kadhi. The salad was Nimbu Saan, a Kumaoni delight. A pre-main course followed, built around pumpkin and sinki (a fermented radish preparation from the eastern Himalayan region), served with Kashmiri katlam bread and coriander butter.
The main course centred on Kashmiri gucchi (morel mushrooms) and Solan mushrooms, paired with a burnt tomato sauce and served with Himachali swarnu rice. This course was accompanied by a trio of regional chutneys, reinforcing the idea of place-specific condiments rather than generic accompaniments.
Dessert continued the Himalayan focus. One course featured ragi and Kashmiri apple cake, served with timru and sea buckthorn cream. This was followed by a coffee custard (made with Assam coffee beans) with dates and Indian cacao ice-crem - bringing together ingredients from different mountainous regions while maintaining a restrained flavour profile. The meal concluded with a fruit course featuring Himalayan honey-dressed Persimmon with Jambhiri lemon.
Who Curated The Meal
The menu was curated in collaboration with Chef Prateek Sadhu, Chef Kamlesh Negi, and the team from NAAR. Chef Prateek Sadhu is best known for his role in shaping contemporary Indian fine dining over the past decade. He first gained prominence as the co-founder and chef of Masque in Mumbai, a restaurant that became known for its ingredient-led tasting menus and seasonal approach. After exiting Masque, Sadhu went on to establish NAAR in Himachal Pradesh.
NAAR is a small, reservation-only restaurant located in the Himalayan foothills, where menus change with the seasons and draw heavily on local produce and regional food practices. The restaurant has been widely celebrated for its focus on mountain cuisines and its destination-dining format. NAAR's menus are built around Himalayan ingredients, grains, and preservation techniques: the same elements that featured prominently in the state banquet.
In conversation with Conde Nast Traveller India, Chef Prateek revealed that he received encouragingly positive feedback about his curation. He stated, "The chief guest even remarked that they didn't realise Indian food could be presented with this kind of beauty. What stood out most was seeing people take photographs of the food before eating, which is unusual for a state dinner setting."
The meal serves as a great example of how regional Indian cuisines can be incorporated into high-level formal settings. It demonstrates that such menus are operationally possible and diplomatically viable.